Deitersian Unit Response to Tilt

Abstract

Recordings taken from 65 single Deitersian units showed typical resting discharges, but with two distinct types of resting frequency patterns which could be related to the depth of the cells in the nucleus: the deeper (more ventral) cells generally fired in doublets or small groups, the shallower (more dorsal) cells generally fired only in singlets. These resting patterns persisted during enhancement or suppression of frequency in response to slow changes of body position in the median and lateral planes. The possible indication of an anatomico-functional distribution within the lateral vestibular nucleus is discussed. The finding that frequency response patterns to slow changes in tilt were not consistently unidirectional is discussed in the light of the possible central integrating function on the nuclear level.